


A Storm

by Oath_Of_Three_Arrows



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: M/M, Theyre basically together even if not official, because caspar is scared of lightning i have my canon receipts, fluff for fluffs sake
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-29
Updated: 2020-03-29
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:20:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23376046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oath_Of_Three_Arrows/pseuds/Oath_Of_Three_Arrows
Summary: A lightning storm wakes Linhardt in the middle of the night, and brings about an unexpected visitor.
Relationships: Caspar von Bergliez/Linhardt von Hevring
Comments: 2
Kudos: 77





	A Storm

A flash of brilliant white light through the window briefly illuminated all of Linhardt’s room in a blinding glow. It lasted a mere millisecond, but bathed the room with such intensity that it was enough to stir the boy from deep sleep, even through all the thick blankets he had to cover him. It dragged him out of a particularly nice dream about finding a new book on Crestology into the cold hard reality of his own bedroom. 

The Lone Moon, the earliest Spring month in Fodlan, still bore the cold of a harsh winter even as the starting signs of a new season were emerging in nature. The nights still ravaged cold frosts, and for the students it meant many a cold sleep in their stone walled rooms. Equally, it was the time when storms began to hit Garreg Mach, and the low rumble of thunder and the sound of heavy rain beginning to fall following the light told Linhardt that this was exactly what had awoken him. 

Lovely. Were it any other time he might have enjoyed it. Storms could be fascinating to watch, and the sound of rain was soothing to his soul when he wanted to doze off for a nice nap. But as Linhardt attempted to return to his dream, a second flash of lightning lit the room, ruining any chances of him getting back to sleep once more. The thunder rumbled on, close and often, and the rain pounded harder against the window. No more sleep for him tonight. 

Frustrated, Linhardt sat up and stretched. He yawned and one hand lazily rubbed his eyes free of sleep. The room was dark, but the occasional lightning still lit it up enough to see what was going on, and once he found the motivation to move he would go and put on his oil lamp. If he wasn’t going to get back to his rest, and for sure he’d need a nap later on to make up for that, he might as well use the time productively. Linhardt glanced over to his desk and bookshelf, both brimming with texts and messily stacked piles of research notes, smiling a little. Even in the dark he knew all the things he needed were there. The storm would be good weather for studying in, and he certainly still had lots that he could read and make notes on. That would be much more pleasant - and then when the storm had passed he could return to sleep. Perfect. 

Almost perfect. 

As another flash of lightning lit Linhardt’s room again, and the boy could have sworn he heard a voice cry outside. Strange, no one should be out in this sort of weather. The first floor dormitories, where Linhardt’s room was, were situated in one line along the courtyard, exposed at the front and back to the elements rather than sheltered by a corridor like the second floor rooms were. To get from one room to another, one would have to brave the storm and rain outside - and surely no one was stupid enough to attempt that at this hour right? 

Another flash, and another cry. Linhardt could have sworn he recognised the voice, but he was still fogged by sleep and not paying complete attention. His fingers wound into strands of his green hair, attempting to tame the bed head a little so he could tie it back. Linhardt always slept with his hair down, and his white hair ribbon sat on his bedside table beside him. He was about to reach for it when there was a loud knock at his door - so he hadn’t imagined that cry after all!  
“Linhardt?” Came a frightened voice from outside. 

“Are ya awake in there? Please be awake… Even you can’t sleep through this right?”

Wait. Was that….

“Caspar?” 

Linhardt’s voice was groggy, but the plea from his friend was enough to get him to leave the comfort of his bed. He clambered out, stretching and hurrying himself to the door, not caring that he was still in his soft green silk pyjamas - Caspar had for sure seen him looking far more dishevelled during their long friendship. He pulled open the door, and as he expected he was met by the frightened face of his friend waiting for him on the other side. 

“Caspar…” Linhardt sounded a mixture of exhausted and shocked, a tone of voice that only he seemed able to pull off. 

“Did you come all the way from the second floor dormitories to my room? In the rain?”

He was stating the obvious, Linhardt only had to look at Caspar’s soaked hair, face and night clothes to know that that was exactly what the boy had just done. It was a fair distance between their rooms and the lower floor dormitories did not have much cover. Caspar was wet from head to toe, shivering in the doorway and staring up at him. His blue fringe was dripping rain onto the end of his nose, and he looked uncharacteristically frightened. 

“Please let me in its frickin’ cold out there Lin... “ he pleaded, taking a step before he’d even got an answer. 

Linhardt wasn’t going to deny him that, his best friend was wet through and cold. Any longer like that and surely he’d catch a cold or worse. He felt a pang of worry, stepping back to open the door a little wider for Caspar. He was about to reply, inviting his friend in to warm up, when another rumble of thunder rattled the skies above, and Caspar bristled up like a spooked cat and bolted into Linhardt’s room without another request. 

“Eek!” he shrieked, immediately running towards Linhardt’s bed. 

“Wait don’t you’re soaked!” Linhardt tried to protest, but it was too late. Caspar buried himself under the thick blankets, shivering. 

“You’ll make them wet too..” Linhardt whined, sighing with defeat. 

Too late now, he supposed. 

Since they were children, Linhardt had known Caspar had a fear of storms - particularly lightning storms. Many a night they’d spent at each other’s houses had brought about heart-to-heart talks about their dreams and fears - only concluding when Linhardt inevitably fell asleep to Caspar rambling about how he wanted to be the best general the Adrestrian Army had ever seen. The boy tried to make out that he feared nothing, but Linhardt knew better than that. But even still, he thought now the two of them were older and in the Officers Academy Caspar might have overcome or grown out of his fear. 

Clearly not. He could now conclude. 

Resigning himself to the fact that he was not going to get any more sleep nor any chance to study his Crestology notes, Linhardt wandered sleepily over to his oil lamp and lit it. Other students used candles, but Linhardt had spent a little of his family’s wealth on a more sheltered flame - because of all the precious books and notes in his room. He did not have the energy to light the room’s chandelier, and it would take far too long. No, the lamp would have to suffice. There was a second one on his mantle and he lit that as well, bathing the room in light. 

“Caspar, before you make my bed even more damp, please come out.” he said sternly. 

“I’ll bring you a towel and you can dry off before you catch a cold, and I can let my sheets dry.” 

His orders were met with a low whine, and Caspar’s head poked out from under the blanket. He was pouting like a child, much to Linhardt’s displeasure, but relented. Slithering out to sit cross-legged on the floor. For a moment, Linhardt did a double take, with how much Caspar’s frightened gaze reminded him of all the times he’d comforted him through storms when they were children, and he couldn’t help a small, stifled fond gaze. Really, for all the bravado and hot-headedness, Caspar was as human as all the officers were. 

“Idiot,” Linhardt teased, and Caspar poked his tongue out at him. 

With a small sigh, Linhardt went over to his clothing cupboard and pulled out a fluffy white towel embroidered with the Hevring family emblem. He put it over one shoulder, and reached for a spare pair of night clothes (their difference in height was going to make Caspar look ridiculous in them, but needs must) and a dry blanket to replace the one on his bed. Linhardt always kept a number of them ready in case he got cold, or spilled tea on one of them. Without looking at his friend, he spoke firmly. 

“You’ll have to get out of those wet clothes Caspar, you’ll catch a cold if you don’t”

“But I don’t have anything else!” Caspar tried to protest, and was met by a towel and pyjamas thrown to the face. 

“But you might see my-!”

“I’ve seen it, I’ve seen all of you Caspar” Linhardt wasn’t going to give in to any protests. Already going over to his bed to change the blanket for the dry one. 

“I remember with startling clarity the time your father made us go to the sauna, and seeing as you don’t know the meaning of sitting down when in just a towel I got more than a slight glimpse.”

Caspar flushed a bright scarlet and went silent. Obediently he stripped off his wet pyjamas and wrapped himself in the towel, shivering a little because of his damp skin. The lightning still flashed frequently, causing him to cower a little each time he heard the thunder rumble through, but he didn’t protest any further. Eventually dry he looked over to the pyjamas Linhardt had given him, picking up the shirt first. 

“They’re too big,” he muttered, but Linhardt’s sharp hearing caught him out. 

“No,” he replied sarcastically. “You’re just small.”

Caspar made an indignant huff, but put them on. As expected, the sleeves drooped over his hands and the trouser legs covered his feet and dragged along the floor, but they were at least dry. Caspar was, if nothing else, grateful for that. He looked over to Linhardt fixing the bed and wandered over, gently taking the blanket from his friend’s hands. 

“Let me do it Lin, you’ve already put in way more effort for me than you’d do for anyone else.”

It wasn’t meant as an insult, and Linhardt didn’t take it that way. Caspar was very correct, and he knew for a fact that he’d only go out of his way this much for his best friend. With a small smile, he let Caspar take over, and the two soon had the bed fixed up. 

“Just don’t tell Edelgard you saw me do this, she’d have me for all the lectures I’ve slept through.”

“I would never Lin, you know I wouldn’t rat you out like that!”

Their laughter was drowned out by an especially loud clap of thunder, enough to shake the window as the rain intensified. The heart of the storm was approaching, and Caspar twitched at the sounds, immediately burying himself beneath the blanket. Linhardt, unafraid but understanding, rolled his eyes a little and placed his hand upon the shivering blanket lump that was his friend. 

“I presume this means you’re staying the night in my bed?” he asked. 

There was a muffled response. 

“I can’t hear you,” Linhardt continued. 

The muffle became more pronounced, and Caspar’s face poked out the blanket. 

“Can I stay? I don’t like storms Lin…” the boy whined. 

Linhardt tried not to laugh. 

“Of course you can, but you’re not taking my bed all to yourself Caspar. I was napping there.” 

Saying that, Linhardt tugged at the blanket hard, laying down and pulling it over himself. It freed Caspar from his cocoon, causing him to yelp, and ended with them both in the bed together. It wasn’t the first time, they’d shared beds together as children and neither of them minded. Linhardt lay back and attempted to get himself comfortable once more. 

“I’m going to sleep, Caspar,” he murmured, already about to drop off. 

“Just promise you’ll be here for me Lin,” Caspar nestled against him, hoping he might sleep too. 

“Of.. Of course I… will…” Linhardt yawned, and immediately dozed off. He’d missed enough precious sleep time, he needed to catch up. 

Caspar was used to seeing Linhardt doze off fast, it was quite the talent. He just laughed quietly, getting comfortable himself. The storm was quietening down - or maybe it just didn't seem so close now with a blanket and his best friend near. Either way, he felt safer now, and soon enough drifted off into a dreamless sleep himself.


End file.
